New Delhi, India – Air cargo services between India and Afghanistan are poised to resume "very soon," according to a senior official from India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The announcement was made during Afghan Commerce and Industry Minister Al-Haj Nooruddin Azizi's visit to India this week, signaling a renewed push to strengthen trade relations between the two nations.
Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary in the MEA, stated that the air freight corridor connecting Kabul with Delhi and Amritsar has been activated, and cargo flights on these routes are expected to commence shortly. "This will significantly enhance their connectivity and further strengthen our trade and commercial ties," Prakash said.
Azizi's five-day visit to India underscores Afghanistan's desire to expand its economic partnerships, particularly in light of strained relations with Pakistan. Discussions in New Delhi are expected to focus on increasing trade volumes, expanding market access for Afghan produce, and boosting Indian exports of pharmaceuticals, machinery, and textiles. Afghanistan is seeking reliable access to grains, pharmaceuticals and industrial goods from India, particularly as land access through Pakistan remains blocked.
The resumption of air cargo services is viewed by New Delhi as a way of unlocking long-stalled trade channels and giving a renewed boost to bilateral engagement. The Kabul–Delhi air freight corridor was originally launched in 2017 to boost bilateral trade.
In addition to the resumption of air cargo flights, India and Afghanistan have agreed to assign trade attachés to their respective embassies to oversee and facilitate bilateral commerce. Furthermore, the joint working group on trade, commerce, and investment has been reactivated. This group, which has been non-functional since 2021, will work to push bilateral trade beyond its current level of approximately $1 billion. "There remains significant scope for further growth," Prakash noted, emphasizing the need for deeper business-to-business participation.
While India does not formally recognize the Taliban regime, the two sides have increased pragmatic engagement in recent months, especially given the backdrop of worsening India-Pakistan relations.
The reactivation of air cargo routes offers Kabul an alternative channel at a time when Islamabad’s restrictions are straining regional trade dynamics. Indian carriers are currently unable to operate flights to Afghanistan because Pakistan has closed its airspace to them amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions. However, Afghan carriers continue to operate passenger services to Delhi, making Kabul-Delhi cargo flights feasible.
Both countries are also exploring ways to restore payment channels that have been affected by Afghanistan's exclusion from SWIFT. The revival of the India–Afghanistan Air Freight Corridor is intended to stabilize transactions and ensure predictable trade flows, especially as land-based commerce faces frequent disruptions.
The recent visit of Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, Afghanistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, to India in October 2025, further highlights the growing engagement between New Delhi and the Taliban regime.
